Chinese medicine Bi Luo Zi is a plant species in the order Sapindales, family Rutaceae, subfamily Zanthoxyloideae, which is used medicinally for its root bark. The botanical name is Meliosmarigida Sieb.et Zucc. It is harvested and dried in autumn when the fruits are ripe.
【Habitat Distribution】
It is native to southern Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, southwestern Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Taiwan. It grows in broad-leaved forests below 1500 meters above sea level. It is also distributed in Japan. It grows on slopes, riverbanks, forest edges, broad-leaved mixed forests, and shrubs. It is found in Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, and other places.
【Plant Uses】
The wood is light red in color and hard, and can be used for handles, poles, canes, etc. The bark and leaves contain tannin and can be used to produce gambier. The seeds can be pressed for oil.
【Usage and Dosage】
According to "Folk Medicinal Materials of Hunan": used to treat cough, cold, and pain relief.
